Properties of the electrostatically driven helical plasma state

Abstract

A novel plasma state has been found [Akçay et al., Phys. Plasmas 24, 052503 (2017)] in the presence of a uniform applied axial magnetic field in periodic cylindrical geometry. This state is driven by external electrostatic fields provided by helical electrodes with a (m=1,n=1) (helical) symmetry where m and n represent the poloidal and axial harmonics. The resulting plasma is a function of the cylinder radius r<rw and helical angle u=mθ−nζ, where θ is the poloidal angle, and ζ=z/R is the normalized axial coordinate in the context of a periodic cylinder. In this reference, the strongly driven form of the state was found to have a strong axial mean current density, with a mean-field line safety factor q0(r) just above the pitch of the electrodes m/n=1 in the interior, where the plasma is nearly force-free. However, at the edge the current density has a component perpendicular to the magnetic field B. This perpendicular current density drives nearly Alfvénic helical plasma flows, a notable feature of these states. This state is being studied for its possible application in DC electrical transformers. We present results on several issues of importance for these applications: the transient leading to the steady state; the twist and writhe of the field lines and their relation with the current density; the properties of the current density streamlines and length of the current density lines connected to the electrodes; the sensitivity to changes in the velocity boundary conditions; the effect of varying the radial resistivity profile; and the effects of a concentrated electrode potential.